


Soon, we'll have forever, sweetie

by MrandMrsDoctor



Series: Ponds and Rivers - A Doctor Who AU [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Marriage, Normal Life, Post-Episode: s07e05 The Angels Take Manhattan, Post-Library River Song, Post-Season/Series 07 AU, Shameless Smut, Stormcage Containment Facility
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-17 05:49:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16089347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrandMrsDoctor/pseuds/MrandMrsDoctor
Summary: “Someone needs rewarding for breaking me out..” she bit her lip, something River knew made the Doctor go crazy. Despite how emotional he was over the chance he may still lose his wife not 30 minutes ago, he found to be able to push that to one side for now. All he wanted was River. “Oh, really?” he asked, slipping his braces off his shoulders and undoing his bowtie. “Yes. Come here..” She beckoned him to come closer, to which the Doctor was very much obliged. Shoes and socks already off, he got on top of her on the bed and kissed her.In an AU, after Angels take Manhattan, whereby Amy and Rory don't die. The Doctor attempts to find a way to save River from her inevitable death in the Library, encouraged further by both the love and lust he feels for her, but also an announcement from the Ponds.





	Soon, we'll have forever, sweetie

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fanfic for Doctor Who. Initially this was going to be something short, but several thousand words later and here we are.  
> I really hope you enjoy it, and all constructive comments are welcome! I hope to write more fanfics in the future for Doctor Who as I really did enjoy this. I have read a lot of people's work and you're all such brilliant writers, it inspired me to give it a go.  
> In advance, sorry if I miss out huge plot holes, I'm still learning, but at the end of the day it's all good fun. I also didn't write much about the Pond's day to day life; I found I struggled to make it seem interesting.  
> So I'll quit babbling and, without further ado, here you are. "Soon, we'll have forever, sweetie". 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Amy smiled as she heard the Tardis' engines in the garden. Trips from the Doctor were becoming more frequent. Well, at least from her point of view. For him it could be years.  
“Should I pop the kettle on?” Shouted Rory from the kitchen. She responded yes and proceeded to tidy up a little bit in the lounge. She never knew if or when he could bring River over, but she always made it look nice for her daughter. 

“Ponds!” The kitchen door opened, a smiling Doctor bounding through. Amy came into the kitchen. He looked happy. Happier than normal, and not in his child-like way. Somehow everything was different. His coat was a more dazzling green velvet, his bow tie seemed more red. The metal work on his braces almost shone back at her. She was never against him being happy, of course. But this time seemed different.  
“Doctor!” Amy went to hug him, trying to see over his shoulder for River emerging from the Tardis. It was Rory who broke the silence. “Can’t get her out today?” he smiled sympathetically, understanding how much it hurt everyone. The facility had recently increased their security, making it harder for the Tardis to land in her cell undetected. His visits were also monitored, when they did notice, meaning that there were only so many times he could visit before she was due to go to the Library. The Doctor sighed. “I tried. I even bargained with the guards. Although, got to admit, I would have been better letting River and her hallucinogenic lipstick do the formentioned talking..”. He blushed then laughed, ‘bopping’ Amy on the nose. “Your face is a classic Pond.” He smiled before regaining a semi-serious look. “I’m sorry. They wouldn’t let me land. I don’t know when they’ll release the barriers. I did speak to them over the phone, explained that her parents needed to see her urgently. But they wouldn’t have it.” He sighs. Every time he visited the Ponds it was as if he just had more bad news to give. But not today. Tonight was when he told them his plan. 

“She calls though, River. Complains, mainly. Wishes she could get out of there for good..” He trails off, vaguely recalling the night he saw his wife perish. Suddenly, he snaps out of it, aware how much of a downer he could be when this happened. He smiles at them. “So! What is this news?”. Amy and Rory share a cheeky grin before picking up the cups of coffee. “I think we'll all need to be sitting down for this” says Rory. Confused, the Doctor follows the Ponds into the lounge.  
~  
River sat in her cell, twiddling her thumbs. It had been three weeks since she had seen her husband, even longer since she saw her parents. She had always remained rather calm and collected about the Doctor's absence; neither were ever keen on showing too much affection in public, or private. But recently, something had changed. It was like a new side of him had been revealed. One that wanted to hold her close and take her to the most magical of places. He never said why, nor even acknowledged a change at all. But it made her yearn for him more. His touch, his kiss, even just to see his warm and charming smile. For once, River finally understood that one person in the universe did genuinely love her.

She leant up against the wall, sat on the bed. Outside the rain poured, beating against the glass of the window above. River smiled faintly. The last solar storm like this he had been here. They hadn’t gone anywhere, not got into any trouble. They both simply lay here, on her bed, encircling one another. She hummed quietly in content as she recalled that night, as vivid to her now through memories as the day it happened. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go away somewhere?” he'd asked, leaning on his elbow so that he was over her slightly. Most times this question would have prompted an almost child like temper had she declined. But not then. This time his question sounded more sincere, like he was concerned for her. “No. I am quite content” she had responded, lifting one hand to stroke his cheek. He lifted his own hand to cover hers, holding it against him. His head turned slowly to gently kiss the palm of her hand, before he let go to run his fingers through her hair. He leaned in closer.  
“Okay, my love..”. And as the memory of their kiss became more vivid, River found herself slowly drifting away. Soon, she was sound asleep, her memories of the Doctor still being able to comfort her the same way as his gentle touch.  
~  
“But...but how?” The Doctor said, astounded. Amy and Rory giggled, holding hands. “We were hoping you could explain, Doctor.” Said Rory. The Doctor looked up from the positive pregnancy test he had been handed and chuckled when he met eyes with the Ponds. Their emotions were a mix between utter confusion, but also joy. “I...I have...this shouldn’t be possible!” he exclaimed, dumbfounded but still thrilled for his best friends. “I mean, after Demon's Run, this shouldn’t have been able to happen. Whatever they did to you, Amy, was to prevent you attempting to create your own psychopath and beat them to it by killing me first.” He laughed. “Could this one not try and kill me please?”. The Ponds laughed with him. “Only if you don’t marry this one” said Amy.  
“So, do you have any idea how this could have happened?” Rory asked, always remaining to be the sceptical one. “We’ve taken about 10 tests...it's definitely positive.” He continued. The Doctor's smile began to fade. He picked up the test. “Damnit,” he dropped it, then perked up. “Come with me.”

The three all head to the Tardis. The Doctor ran a body scan of Amy, Rory by her side. He smiled at them. “Definitely positive. 7 weeks.” His smile dropped into a cheeky, yet almost disgusted, grin. “Which means you two were screwing on my Tardis again!”. The Ponds laugh together. The Doctor paces round the console, not really mad at his best friends, but wanted them to understand he did actually have some boundaries. “If River and I have a no-touching rule under your roof you two can consider it the same for mine,” he pointed to the ceiling of the control room “albeit a rather larger roof...” he smiled and turned to his best friends, before embracing them both in a hug. “But I'll make this exception. Glad the vortex could be of service and...un-do whatever got did.”  
They all smiled, before Amy's expression became more concerned. “Doctor...I'm not going to have another time-baby am I?”. A look of panic crossed her face, and Amy became rather pale, more so than her normal self. Rory lead her to the seating area, holding her. The Doctor leant in front of her, and smiled reassuringly. “No. Whatever Kovarian did was...powerful. The fact the vortex managed to erase that damage is a miracle in itself. The scan shows no sign of Timelord DNA, unlike with River. My guess is that it simply undid the process, but wasn’t as powerful as before”. He smiled again as Amy's expression began to return to that of happiness and excitement. Rory and Amy hugged each other, almost squealing in excitement.  
“So....” interrupted the Doctor “if they’re not going to let us in, shall we try and break into Stormcage? I think there's a big sister who needs to know this.” He grinned, the thought of fighting to see his wife filling him with joy.  
~  
It had now been a month since she had seen the Doctor. By their standards now, this was grounds for a divorce. She chuckled to herself as she tried to imagine the Doctor comprehending complex divorce papers. Maybe not, she thought. The solar storm had finally passed after six days and nights. She had barely slept a wink. But today seemed different, and not just because of the passing winds. It was as if she knew sleeping would mean she missed something crucial.  
Soon, River found herself applying lipstick and her nicest blouse – a simple black button down she had chosen from a market on the moon from 2479, one which the Doctor insisted on buying. It was one of her favourite dates yet.  
As soon as she began recollecting the memory, a past-time which she had become used to doing to make her days more bearable, a loud static noise came from behind her, shortly followed by a bright blue light filling her cell. She darted her head round, being unfamiliar with the means of transport that had got somebody inside her cell. And then, with that sweet smile she had been so craving, her love muttered the immortal words. “Hi honey, I'm home.” His smiled gleamed out in the darkened cell and, for the first time, River felt almost paralyzed by his presence. He began to look worried. “Don’t tell me I've got the timings awfully wrong and you’re expecting a different face?” He grimaced, recounting the many times this had happened.  
In shock, River managed to muster a response. “How did you get through?”. He smiled and pointed at his wrist. “Vortex manipulation with a close enough range to the orbiting Tardis to, basically, just drop me through the roof. Handy little trick, but takes ages to reboot after one return journey. Today seemed like a good day to use it”. He began to fiddle and flick various buttons, flailing his arms occasionally as he tried to explain the science behind the device. River smiled and almost came to life in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him tenderly. He kissed her back, not even bothering to fight how he had so much lust for her now. Forgetting the vortex manipulator strapped to his wrist, he tightly held her by the waist. In their embrace, the Doctor hadn’t even noticed the ‘return’ button being pressed. 

Amy coughed, loudly. They had returned to the Tardis, still holding one another and kissing. Rory was trying not to laugh at Amy's motherly gaze and how easily she could make them both feel like school children who had been caught stealing sweets. The Doctor blushed before letting go of River. He whispered, “I think your mum is mad at us”. They giggled, before River turned to smile at Amy. “Hello, mother.” They ran to each other before hugging, River surprising Amy by picking her off the floor. For her, it had been three months since she had seen either of them. The girls hugged, sharing chit chat among one another. Rory approached the Doctor, as he was removing the vortex manipulator. “Exactly who has you wrapped round their finger more?” he raised an eyebrow, then chuckled as he wiped off some of River's lipstick from the Doctor's face. The Doctor shrugged “The missus or the in-laws? I honestly don’t know which answer saves me the most dignity.” They both laughed, before heading to the control panel. He set the Tardis to return to the Pond's house, exactly when they had left.  
~  
“Oh, mother, father...that's such wonderful news!” River gleamed at Amy and Rory, ecstatic about the recent revelation. Despite her genuine joy, she also couldn’t help but feel like an outsider still. Yes, her parents loved and accepted her as one of their own. But now they would have a second chance to raise the child they always wanted. Growing up with them, as Mels, had shown her this. Amy always insisted the three of them played mummies and daddies, and always spent her pocket money on doll dresses until the age of 7, when the Doctor became her new fixation. Those memories of the three of them growing up were often ones River would recall during sleepless nights. They had raised her, in a way. She had always made sure she was the one who needed the extra helping hand, the one who needed keeping on the straight and narrow. Her parents unwittingly helped shape the character who would go against her programming to kill the Doctor. They taught her the values of love, compassion, and mercy. 

“We want you to be around as much as you can, prison permitting of course,” chuckled Rory, a nervous grin across his face, “...we don’t want you to feel left out by this. We understand how this may seem, but...it's not. Truthfully, River, you are and always will be our daughter to us. It makes sense to us, doesn’t matter if others don’t understand. We are proud of you, and we want you to be around for your younger sibling. They’ll need to meet you to understand time travel from a young age.” The Ponds all laugh before joining in a group hug. “I'll escape as often as I can,” River winked, “I want to be here for you both. This is such a big thing for you and I’m so happy, really. And it means a lot, you know. Not many people, even friends of the Doctor, would be so accepting of a child they didn’t really raise. Not ‘properly'.” Her expression turned to that of sadness for a brief moment. Amy, always the matronly one, noticed. She reached up to stroke her daughter's cheek and smiled. “When you travel in time, nothing will ever be normal, or proper. We aren’t like other families, but we function in our own silly way. You are our daughter, and that’s all that matters.” She kisses River's head. “Now, head into the kitchen. The Doctor said he was cooking dinner and, I won’t lie, I’m little nervous as to what that could end up tasting like..” Amy giggled before hugging River once more.  
~  
The Doctor stood over a pan of beef casserole in the Pond's kitchen. It was going dark outside, and their fairy lights quaintly lit up the garden. He turned down the temperature and left the dinner to simmer. As he turned to set the table, he saw River standing in the door. He jumped. “How long have you been stood there?” he asked, reaching up to the coat rack to hang his jacket up, away from the dining chairs. “Long enough to realise I underestimated your cooking, sweetie”. River smirked and came closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her hands on his upper back in an embrace. “I’ve missed you.” As River nuzzled her hair into his chest, the Doctor held her against him, smiling. “I’ve missed you too,” he gently kissed the top of her head, “...is it too soon to make big sister jokes?” he smiled and looked down. River looked up to meet his gaze and chuckled under her breath. “Give it time. It's quite a concept to process.” They both smiled at each other, lost in each other’s gaze. Instinctively, they both leant in to one another.  
Their kiss shared was soft and gentle, the Doctor's hands now in River's hair. He had missed her so much and all he wanted to do was to spend the whole of tonight losing himself in her beauty, surround himself with her love, and hold her so tight she could never go. Gripping her head a little firmer, he deepened the kiss, her mouth opening slightly to allow his tongue in. River let out a light, sensual, moan against his lips. He couldn’t help but smile at the sound, and pulled back from the kiss. He whispered under his breath, “you are so, so, beautiful...”. River smiled and kissed him again, quickly this time. “Will you stay tonight? Amy said my room is just as it was last time I stopped overnight.” He nodded, smiling, knowing how few chances he now had to be with his wife, before he had to let her go. “Of course. I..uh.. I actually assumed we would be here for a few days and...got some stuff from the Tardis wardrobes. They’re already upstairs.” He blushed, realising how soppy and sentimental he sounded out loud. He was certain River would roll her eyes and tell him she was capable of deciding what she wanted to do. However, he was pleasantly surprised when, instead of a slap, he received another kiss. “Thank you, my love. How long before you get bored and want to go off traveling again?” she asked, fiddling with the buckles on his braces. He smiled sympathetically; “I could never get bored of being with you, River. Where you are is the only place I want to be”. River placed her arms around his neck and giggled. “Sympathetic so-and-so”. She kissed his nose and the Doctor laughed, holding her by the waist and picking her up to spin her around. River squealed and held on tight. “And you love me for it!” he said, now both laughing together.  
~  
Three hours later, after everyone had eaten dinner and the dishes had been washed, the Doctor, Amy and Rory were all sat round the table, sipping wine. Wine was something he'd become accustomed to from the many dinner parties the Pond's had hosted, although he still favoured sweet cocktails and juice. River, tired from weeks of sleepless nights, had already headed upstairs to bed. The Doctor didn’t join her yet, and considered spending this night on the sofa, just so she wouldn’t be disturbed. He hated how tired prison made her, it sometimes took her days to readjust to a normal sleep cycle. It was like he still didn’t have his wife with him, even when he broke her out for up to a week. He looked up from his glass to see Amy and Rory muttering quietly across the table to one another, looking quite concerned.  
“Is everything OK?” he asked, taking another sip from his glass. They both turned to look at him, Amy timidly biting her lip. He could tell something was wrong, and put his glass down. “Tell me”, he said, more sincerely this time.  
“Doctor...” started Amy; “..do you know how..how...” she sniffed and took a big breath in, and Rory rubbed her back; “how long River has?”. The question startled the Doctor, but he knew this conversation had to come eventually. Unfortunately, he also knew the answer. 4 months. He had revealed to them in confidence how he saw her die when he first met her; a discussion he hated reliving, as it was done at entirely the wrong time. It had almost been done as a matter-of-fact way, as none of them knew who she was at the time. He didn’t think anything of it, not realising how one day she would be his entire world. He sighed and reached out to hold their hands. Amy teared up, knowing what he was going to say wouldn’t the best news.  
“I do know. But I won’t tell you. Just know it's far enough away that I still...” he trailed off, fighting back his own tears now; “- I'll be able to work out how to save her. Permanently.” Rory looked confused. “But..I thought you said you did save her?” The Doctor smiled faintly in response. “Not physically. I preserved her memory into the biggest archive in the universe. But her body...it was beyond saving.” He sniffed and squeezed their hands before pulling back to wipe his tears. “But I have something that could,” he began, picking up himself to straighten up and start explaining, seeing how the suspense was killing his friends, “...you remember the suit we saw in that pod when the weeping angels crashed?” Amy nodded in response, keeping silent as to not interrupt his flow. “The suit is what can save her. I've been all over the universe, trying to find a material that's so flame and heat resisted it actually protects the wearer. I'm close. The material is called Zrifalona, found only on the planets surrounding the Shadow Proclamation. It's the rarest material in the galaxy, and takes 500 years for a square meter of it to form. It grows, you see? An organic compound that, once harvested, can be molecularly altered into a fabric. Acts like cotton to work with, but can protect whatever it covers to temperatures of plus or minus 5000 degrees, is laser and bullet resistant, and has this handy trick whereby it can repair itself if torn.”  
The Doctor was now smiling, quite giddy knowing how close he was. “Our timelines are intertwined in a place by which she must be at that library and she must die saving myself and thousands of others. But history doesn’t say anything about her staying dead.” Amy burst into tears and Rory held her. “How certain can you be that it'd work? That she would be alive?” He smiled sweetly and cupped his hands round hers. “90%. There’s a chance that, even with the suit, her body might still not be protected enough to be revived again. But 90% is better than what I've seen happen. And I am working so hard to save her. Because, don’t you see? If she is saved, our timelines will no longer have to be out of sync. River can be here as long as you want her, because Stormcage sure as Hell won’t know about this. She won’t ever have to be apart from you two”. He smiled, proud and excited at the notion. Him and River could finally live out a normal, married life, no longer with the threat of timelines not being right. Rory and Amy, crying together, smiled back. “Do it. Please...save our little girl.” Rory said. The Doctor nodded and came round to hug them both. “Just don’t tell her. River doesn’t know our first meeting, for me, is her last. I'll tell her before she goes and I'll be there the second she...she passes...I'm going to re-write time.”  
~  
The Doctor headed upstairs a while later, deciding against the sofa after the rather emotionally raw conversation the three of them had over glasses of wine. She was his wife, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t spending the night with her. He crept into their bedroom, only to see River hadn’t even tried to sleep much. The lights were dimmed and the curtains were drawn, but River somehow seemed energized. She had just closed her laptop when he came into the room, no doubt after ordering several new books to be delivered before she went back into prison. She was partially undressed, being in just her underwear and the same black blouse, but unbuttoned. The Doctor smirked. “Good evening River Song. To what do I owe such a pleasurable sight?” She smiled and lay back on the bed, leaning up on her arms. “Someone needs rewarding for breaking me out..” she bit her lip, something River knew made the Doctor go crazy. Despite how emotional he was over the chance he may still lose his wife not 30 minutes ago, he found to be able to push that to one side for now. All he wanted was River. “Oh, really?” he asked, slipping his braces off his shoulders and undoing his bowtie. “Yes. Come here..” She beckoned him to come closer, to which the Doctor was very much obliged. Shoes and socks already off, he got on top of her on the bed and kissed her. River's arms went straight to his hair and pulled parts of it, yet something else she knew drove him crazy. He moaned lightly against her lips and slipped a hand into her blouse. Her skin was so soft to the touch and he caressed her torso, not wanting to miss an inch, before gently cupping a breast under her lace bra. River's breathing sped up with anticipation, and she began to unbutton the Doctor's shirt. Once undone, he pulled away to take it off and threw it on the floor. River did the same with hers before grabbing him and rolling them over. “Shit, River. I forget how strong you are...” the Doctor chuckled, his hands now on her hips. He admired her briefly, but had little time to do so before River began tugging at the fly of his trousers. He smirked when he saw a condom poking out of the lace of River's bra, the side he didn’t go for. “You cheeky girl.” She giggled before tugging at his trousers to pull them down slightly. River had also grabbed his boxers in the process, revealing also his erect length upon pulling down. She smirked. “Missed me?” The Doctor smiled. “Always...” he began caressing her again, before his hands were removed. “Sweetie, for tonight, let’s not make this romantic” she giggled and he shrugged, evidently not against the idea. He needed this release as much as she did. River opened the condom and slid it straight onto him in one swift move. He sat up slightly to kiss and suck at her skin gently, before noticing River pulling her underwear to one side. He didn’t have much time to react before he had been pushed onto his back and River had mounted him. Simultaneously, they both let out light moans, holding each other and pleasure filled them both for the first time in weeks. “Fucking hell...” River smirked as she saw the Doctor blush in pleasure. He never normally swore, so she knew he was already enjoying himself. He thrust his hips up in time with River as she rode him, trying to still keep as quiet as possible. Still on top, she leant over to kiss and bite at the Doctor's neck. Normally he hated love bites, but right now he couldn’t care less. He had River, and she was alive, and she was his. He grabbed her by the waist and began to thrust harder into her, almost rendering her unable to move at all. It wasn’t long before this got them both to climax, unable at this point to stay remotely quiet. Panting and sweating, River collapsed completely on top of the Doctor. “Sorry that wasn’t very long...but if you will be so sexy after not seeing you for three weeks, what do you expect?” they both giggled, before getting up to get ready for bed. “It's quite alright my dear, I needed that.” She smiled and got under the covers, wearing just a lacy pair of pants to bed. The Doctor slipped his boxers back on and got under the covers with her, River choosing to snuggle into him. He smiled and kissed her head. “I love you.” He said. “I love you too, sweetie”.  
~  
The following morning, River woke up to the sound of her mother throwing up. Rory, worried over anything small at the best of the time, started hammering on the door. “Melody! Help!”. She bolted up, always knowing things were severe when her father used her real name. The Doctor had woken too, by now, and with tired eyes tried to locate his shirt. He realised, as she hurried out the door, that River had already thrown it on her to cover her otherwise bare chest. He lay back down in bed, not wanting to interfere anymore.  
“Mother, are you OK?” River knelt down to hold back Amy's hair. It was morning sickness alright, but Amy seemed to be distressed, not just sick. She'd seen Amy ill, of course. Many a night spent drinking red wine never left either of them in a good way. She rubbed her back as Amy tried to muster up the energy to speak. “I feel like death...I knew this part wouldn’t be pleasant, but Jesus...” she panted, throwing up again. “What can I do?” stammered Rory, who had reserved himself to being stood in the doorway of the bathroom, biting his fingernails nervously. River smiled sympathetically. “She’s OK, Dad, just morning sickness. Boil some water and mix in two mint leaves from the garden and sprinkle a bit of ginger in it.” Not even questioning how River knew what might help, he dashed off. Amy looked up, colour slowly returning to her face. “How do you know these things?” she tried to muster a smile. River giggled. “Remember when myself and that group of girls took a gap year after A-levels whilst everyone else started being normal and getting jobs?” Amy nodded, recalling how she hated that her best friend -still unaware she was her mother- would be leaving her in Leadworth for a year. River laughed slightly. “Karen, the blonde one, fell pregnant. Complete accident, but whilst everyone else continued to go out and drink their body weight every night, I offered to stay with her. Stopped hearing much from her not long after she gave birth.” Amy smiled. “That’s my girl...”. Rory came upstairs with the tea and she began to drink it. Confident enough that she wouldn’t start throwing up instantly, Amy leant away from the toilet and sat against the wall. “ Thank you” she said and River smiled, before standing to grab a pack of face wipes. She cleaned up Amy's face and smiled. “There, feel better for not having sick on your cheek?” the two laughed slightly. Rory had also finally started to calm down.  
In the next room, the Doctor had already got dressed. Knowing getting his shirt back today was a lost cause, he had opted, for once, to go for a more casual look. He wore black jeans and a burgundy t-shirt, pushed his hair back and headed out to everyone else. “All okay?” he asked, and he could tell River was hiding something, perhaps concern? “Yes, dear.” She put on her best smile before leaving the bathroom to head towards him. She signalled for him to follow her back into the bedroom. With Rory occupied with getting Amy back into bed, he followed.  
“What’s wrong?”. River looked frantic. “We need to do a scan on Amy, a more comprehensive one than your initial scan. I think there may still be traces of whatever Kovarian did to her in her system. That was no normal morning sickness”. She began to look worried. The Doctor went up to her and held her. “You don’t think I would have checked that already?” he smiled and kissed her head. “She’s okay, I promise,” there was a moment of silence where the two just held one another, before the Doctor eventually broke it; “You’re so cute when you’re worried.” He smiled, pushing her hair back out of her face. Now calm again, River smiled and gently kissed him, before pulling back and giggling. “What?” he asked, looking puzzled. River gently stroked at a bruise on his neck, one which she was responsible for. “Father might kill you if he notices this...maybe I'll have to give you your shirt back.” The two giggled together, and the Doctor kissed her head. “Oh, River...will we ever learn?”  
~  
After a week spent living with the Ponds, predominantly helping Amy manage her morning sickness, the Doctor and River had said their goodbyes. They were now in orbit, near Stormcage, spending one last night together before River had to go back. “Sweetie, what's wrong?” asked River. The two were lay in bed on board the Tardis. River was in a black silk nightie, and the Doctor a T-shirt and boxers. He knew what was wrong, but couldn’t tell her. She couldn’t know this might be their last night together. Not yet, anyway. “Nothing.” He smiled before laying on his side to admire River. How he would miss this sight, should his plan fail, he thought. Gently, he reached out to caress her body, his grip tightening around her waist to pull her closer towards him. He could see River was aware of his change in mood from earlier on. Limited as to what the four could all do, due to Amy's sickness, they had decided on their last day to all go for a picnic together. Safe choice, but yet it was still as pleasant for the group to do together as going to an intergalactic water park, as the Doctor had once suggested. They were present with one another and had a laugh. He had been calm and full of life, cracking jokes with his Ponds and being affectionate to River, but not in a gross PDA way. Part of him wanted to explain his change in attitude, but he decided he would later on. She hasn’t pressed him for answers, so why ruin what could be his last chance to make love to his wife?  
He smiled sweetly and leant over to plant soft kisses on River's soft skin. He started on her shoulder, and worked his way up until he was gently biting her earlobe and River's breathing became heavier. He slid on top of her as he continued to kiss all over her neck and jaw, until River caved in and made her lips meet his in a passionate kiss. The Doctor kissed back, cupping one of her cheeks in his hand. With his other, he continued to caress her, the feeling of silk against his hands as he rubbed her body sending shivers down his spine. Their kiss deepened, and River began playing with the Doctor's hair, tugging it lightly. Seizing the opportunity he had, he slipped his hand down to her thigh and brushed the inside of her legs. He could feel her smile as they kissed, anticipating what she knew he was going to do. He slipped his hand up further and, as expected, was greeted with River not wearing any underwear. Already wet, he rubbed her slowly, focusing on the clit, making her writhe around on the bed under him. She let out a light moan as he touched her, still kissing him, and her hips moved slowly so to make him rub harder. Taking the hint, the Doctor increased his speed, but still remained gentle. As much as he wanted to tie her up and do his wife in as many positions as possible, he didn’t think that would be entirely appropriate tonight. He wanted what could possibly be their last night to be passionate, not a rough shag with little to no emotion involved.  
River's free hand reached down to the Doctor's boxers, a definite bulge now present. She tugged at it lightly, the Doctor breaking the kiss to let out a small yelp in pain. She whispered, “sorry sweetie” before kissing his neck. The Doctor slipped a finger inside of her, catching her off guard. River moaned, her breathing now heavy from arousal. “That’s your punishment for trying to rip my cock off.” He giggled and kissed her jaw, more of it being exposed as her head tipped back in pleasure. River's hand began to move up and down his length, slowly getting faster. The Doctor tried to match her speed, even slipping in a second and third finger, but was now partially distracted by pleasure running through his own body. River’s moans became louder and more intense, and he could feel she was getting close. So not to come too fast himself, he removed River's hand from his boxers. He continued to finger and rub River until she came, almost screaming and arching off the bed. He slowed down gradually as she orgasmed, removing his hand only to slip his boxers off. Not waiting for River to appear ready, or stopping to get protection, the Doctor slid into her with ease. He moaned in pleasure, the feeling of skin on skin being something he hadn’t felt with River. Being time travellers, they had always been extra careful not to accidentally conceive a child. But, right now, he didn’t care.  
River looked down, gasping initially before succumbing to pleasure, tried to protest against the lack of protection. “Doctor we- we're not-...” she panted, the Doctor's thrusts increasing with each protest. He didn’t want to hear it, he didn’t want this moment ruined. However, understanding her concerns, he leaned up to whisper in her ear; “I won’t cum in you...I promise...I just need this, more than you could imagine..”. He leant his forehead against hers and smiled, kissing her softly. She smiled back and held onto her husband's hips and he thrust deep into her. He spread her legs further so he could go deeper, and River now began screaming. “Doctor!” she yelled, now grabbing onto the T-shirt he was still wearing. She began to shake, her muscles tightening around his length. She had climaxed for the second time. Feeling close himself, the Doctor pulled out, only to finish as soon as he did. He chuckled; “Good timing...” he glanced over at River who was trying to get her breath back. Her legs still twitched occasionally, and he smiled as he kissed them gently. She smiled back, before beckoning him to come and cuddle her. He crawled up to her after removing his top, which he had to use for cleaning up purposes, and lay next to River. They kissed, passionately, and River held his head gently. “I love you.” She smiled. “I love you too,” he replied. If that truly was their last time, he thought, it was their best time.  
~  
The Tardis landed in her cell at Stormcage. They stood kissing for what felt like an eternity. The Doctor held back his tears best he could. He had decided not to tell River about his plan; he didn’t want her to rely on it working because, truthfully, he had no idea if it would.  
“When will I next see you?” she smiled, completely unaware of the Doctor's anxiety. The likely chance was that he wouldn’t see her again. Not like this. She still had an encounter with his younger self, but apart from that he had no clue. He'd be working flat out for three months now to ensure she would be able to survive the Library. He didn’t want to risk precious time in the future the two of them could share. He smiled. “Don’t know, my love. Lots to do the next few months. Keep an eye out for trouble you want to get yourself into though.” He chuckled, and rested his hands on her hips. “Well,” she said, “there is a very expensive diamond lodged in the skull of a King I've heard about. Sounds like something I’d be interested in.” She winked and the Doctor rolled his eyes. “River, River, River...and yet when I offer to buy you diamonds you refuse. Why?” he kissed her softly. She smiled. “Because, my love, my memories with you will last longer than any diamond will. Speaking of which...when are you taking me to Darillium?” she smiled brightly, clearly unaware of the significance that place would hold to them. He shrugged, trying to stay casual. “Sometime. I’m in no rush though”. 

As their time together grew shorter, the guards signalled that the Doctor needed to leave. He nodded and smiled at them, before tenderly kissing his wife once more. “I love you, Melody Pond.” He said, stroking her cheeks. She smiled back at him, “I love you too.” The Doctor stepped back and into the door of the Tardis. “See you around, my love.” She giggled. “Goodbye, for now, sweetie.” River blew him a kiss as he shut the Tardis doors. He waited until he had left and was in deep space before breaking down in tears at the Tardis console. Now came the hard part. Making this work.  
~  
[Note: the events of “The Husbands of River Song” and “Forest of the Dead” occur here. 12th Doctor – who would know if future River would survive by that point – still doesn’t tell her about the plan. He gives her the screwdriver, though, and they still spend the 24 years together  Hope you’re enjoying so far!]  
~  
Everything had been in place. She would have a screwdriver of her own, and he had left the specially designed suit in the care of her team for this mission. There was nothing more that could be done.  
The Tardis landed in the next room to where the Doctor had seen River die all those years ago. In 30 seconds, he would know if all his hard work had paid off. His hands were shaking violently and he was so scared. Amy and Rory had wanted to come with him, even asked the morning after he told them his plan, but, wary of Amy being 5 months pregnant, he didn’t want them to be involved until she was okay or, unfortunately, no longer alive. He couldn’t put the stress on either of them, which is also why he kept the timing so vague. But his friends were smart, he was certain they knew. 

Time's up.

The Doctor flung open the Tardis door and ran into the other room. His former self was sat there, tugging at the handcuffs River had put him in to prevent him from doing what she did. He had to be cautious not to intervene. It was strange, he thought, he didn’t remember being so desperate to get free-  
Then it hit him. It must have worked. He must be trying to get to her.  
Forgetting all rules about time travel which he had just told himself, especially when crossing your own path, the Doctor ran up to where River had plugged herself into the mainframe. Smoke was pouring out of the machine, clouding his view. Everything seemed to be in slow motion for him, the anxiety of seeing his wife die a second time almost being too much to bear. Slowly, the thick smoke cleared, and he could hear a faint, weak, cough. He smiled, almost in shock and disbelief, as eventually he could see through enough of the smoke to see his wife. Her face was red from the heat and black soot from the smoke began to cover her cheeks. Blood collected around her hair line where the metal had dug in too tight. Her hair, somehow still tied back, was burnt at the ends. The suit he had commissioned to be made had gone from a crisp white to charcoal black, the impact of the explosion obviously almost pushed the material to its limits. But, despite all this, there she was.

Alive.

But barely.

Time stopped being slow for him now and he was overcome in panic as he fully understood his wife's deteriorated state. He rushed forward and undid the straps which had kept her in the chair. Her head lolled over to face him and her eyes opened faintly. “I...I cuffed..you...how are you...helping?..” she trailed off, each breath clearly hurting her. When all the straps were undone, he lifted her out bridal style and got her out from the smoke. Knowing Donna would soon be down to free his former self, he nodded at the younger Doctor as he started to run towards the Tardis. “Because, River, it's me. Your husband. I’m here now, it’s all going to be okay” he said, making sure he was out of earshot of his other self. He smiled, wanting nothing more than to gaze into her eyes and kiss her, but knowing she had to get into the Tardis as soon as possible. River coughed, but he could feel her tightening her grip. Clearly struggling to concentrate, she tugged hard on the tweed jacket. Once she realised what it was, she smiled. “You...you saved...me...” she coughed again, more violently this time, and loosened her grip. The Doctor kicked the Tardis door open and rushed inside to the medical bay. “Hold on River, please...”. He lay her down and placed an oxygen mask over her face. Estimating the level of damage she would have still received, the Doctor had already laid out everything he possibly could have needed. He took his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves so he could work better. “River, I need you to take some deep breaths in, okay?” sleepy eyed, River nodded slowly, before proceeding to take deep breaths with the oxygen mask on. Whilst she was focused on breathing, the Doctor carefully removed her suit to see the rest of the damage. Fortunately, the rest of her body was not as bad as her face, which hadn’t been covered. A few bruised ribs from the force of the explosion and perhaps a few torn muscles, but nothing serious. He grabbed a blanket he had brought down earlier to cover her up with, and discarded of the suit. As River continued to breathe, better with each breath now, he got to work on healing her facial wounds. He wiped away the soot and blood to see that, surprisingly, there would be little permanent damage. At worst, there would be a few scars around her hairline and some discolouration on her neck from the heat. Nevertheless, the Doctor got to work.  
~  
After three hours of checking her over, applying topical wound treatments, bandaging her up in places, and after oxygen assistance, River could finally breathe normally. The Doctor had moved her into their bedroom on board the Tardis, and dressed her in some leggings and one of his oversized jumpers. He was still sat with her, and had only left her side to get clothes for her. “You look so tired, my love...” she said, understanding how tired she no doubt looked. But he really did. For the first time in all the years she had known the Doctor, this was the first time River could see fatigue in his expression. His eyes looked heavy, and his skin was notably paler than normal. His hair was a mess, having been furiously swept out the way constantly for the past few hours. He had long since ditched his bow tie and braces, and now only wore his shirt buttoned up to the centre of his chest and his trousers. But yet, he still mustered up a smile. “I’m sure I do. But I’m not sleeping until I know you’re okay.” He took River's hand and squeezed it gently, making sure to avoid the cuts and grazes. She smiled back. “I’ll be fine, my love. You have done more than enough to help me...you deserve a rest. This must have taken a lot of planning...and a lot of heartache.” His eyes welled up with tears. “River...I'm just happy it worked. We can start living now. Linear timelines.” River smiled, then chuckled slightly. The Doctor looked puzzled. “There is one more medicine you’ve forgotten about though, Doctor.” She smiled and winked at him. Sleep deprived, still stressed that something could go wrong, and after months of planning, seeing River's cheeky wink was something he never thought he'd see again. He smiled, tears now running down his cheeks, and got on the bed to lean over her. “You're right, there is...” he leant down slowly to kiss River softly, being so cautious not to touch any part of her that was injured. It would surely be weeks before she would be fully recovered, and he didn’t dare risk this being longer because of his own stupidity. The kiss was passionate though, despite this, both just happy to be together again. The Doctor dared to gently cup her cheek as they kissed, both of them still crying softly against one another. He was overwhelmed that it had worked, and she was overwhelmed that he cared so much. 

They were alive. Together.  
~  
Three days later, the Tardis materialised in the Pond's lounge area. The Doctor poked his head out to see both Amy and Rory were in the kitchen. He didn’t think they'd noticed him. He sighed, realising River was right about the handbrake being on the whole time; it did make a difference. They clearly hadn’t heard them arrive. Bringing something out of the Tardis, he headed towards the kitchen.  
“Amelia, Rory...meet Melody Pond.” He smiled, and they both turned round to see what he had brought out. River Song was sat in a wheelchair, looking bruised and very tired, but was alive and well. Her hair, still retaining its bouncy curls, was a little shorter, as all the burnt edges had been cut out. Her hairline was covered in red scabs which would inevitably scar. Her neck was bruised and her right arm was in a sling, but yet somehow she still managed to smile. “Hello you two. Can’t get rid of me that easily”. Amy burst into tears, as did Rory. Now 5 months pregnant, Amy leant down to give River the best hug she could manage. The Doctor grinned at Rory, who didn’t hold back in giving him a massive hug. “Thank you... Thank you so, so much, Doctor.” The Doctor himself was now crying, and had no shame in that. The four of them all remained in the kitchen, embracing one another, for what seemed like hours. Finally, they could start living their lives together.  
Eventually, the hugs stopped along with the tears. While both the girls wanted to drink some wine, neither could in this situation. Instead the four all opted for cups of tea and went through into the lounge. River recalled the events of the library leading up to what should have been her death. They both found tales of the Doctor's younger self to be greatly amusing, however, and the Doctor noted how nice it was for everyone to be laughing again. River and the Doctor agreed to stay in their house for a while. It was River who had insisted on coming so soon. “But Doctor, I'll be just as safe in my bedroom at home as I will be in this room here! And besides, it isn’t fair to Amy and Rory to keep them guessing. You know they’ll have worked out what you left to do.” She had said. The Doctor, still not quite over the shock of River being alive, had agreed with her. She was right, no more harm could come to her for as long as she was resting. So, for as much as she claimed to be fine, the Doctor had insisted on the wheelchair. In a way, he quite liked caring for her. It made him feel like a real husband.  
As the evening drew to a close, River became increasingly tired quite quickly. Even with an extended lifespan and improved immune system, River's body would still take as long to heal as someone who was completely human, no Timelord in them. Had she not have used her regenerations up, this current situation wouldn’t even be a problem. Nevertheless, this was the case. The Doctor intervened. “Let’s get you to bed, Song. You’re flaking again”. He smiled. “Do you want carrying or do you feel like trying to walk upstairs?” he asked, knelt in front of her, his hands on hers. “Walk” she said “but not unsupported.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “I’m always here.” He wheeled her chair to the bottom of the stairs before lifting her out. With her right arm in a sling, the Doctor put her left arm around his shoulders and supported her by the waist. “Ready when you are. Take your time”.  
They both got about halfway up the stairs when River almost collapsed, yelping in pain as her bruised ribs began to hurt as her breathing became compromised. Within milliseconds of her legs failing, the Doctor had caught her from underneath and picked her up. He carried her into their bedroom and lay her down onto the bed. He had already arranged pillows so that her body would be supported as she slept to aid in recovery. She smiled and they kissed softly once she was comfortable. “Do you want changing into a nightdress?” he asked, stroking her cheek gently. River nodded. “There’s a bag in our Tardis bedroom with baggy tops and wrap-a-round night shirts in it, could you bring it up? One of those should be easy to get into.” The Doctor kissed her forehead before heading down to grab the bag. When he re-emerged from the Tardis, Rory was nearby tidying up some deliveries of baby supplies. He smiled. “How is she doing?” he asked. “Tired, but recovering well. A few more weeks and she should be okay to do a bit more, walk a bit further, fly a spaceship...” he chuckled, trailing off. “Everything alright?” asked Rory, curious as to the sudden change of the Doctor's tone. “Yeah...we were just thinking of...you know...living a normal life. Make the Tardis a more permanent, quirky looking ‘garden shed' as your neighbours like to call it. I'd love to, obviously, she's my wife. But it does scare me too.” The Doctor admitted, blushing at how silly he felt telling this to somebody. Rory smiled. “Honestly, I think you’d get used to it. Sure, it drove you mad after a few weeks when all those cubes came and you had to stay on Earth, but you’ll be with River. You two live off each other's happiness, and you know how much she longed to live a normal life outside of prison. You’re in that life she pictured too, you know?” he smiled. “Don’t be scared. Embrace the change. Now, go upstairs and look after her. I have a pregnant wife to go get chocolate for. Don’t suppose you want anything else from the shop?”. The Doctor laughed at how much Amy had Rory wrapped around her finger. It really was convenient having a 24 hour shop around the corner at times like this. “I think we'll be ok. Good luck with Amy.” “And you with River”. The two smiled as the Doctor headed back upstairs. On the verge of falling to sleep, River managed to get changed into a large T-shirt before eventually passing out. The Doctor tucked her up, before getting undressed and into bed with her. He kissed her shoulder, and soon was asleep with her too.  
~  
Four months later, after lots of recovery, River was almost back to herself. Still scarred, but otherwise okay. The Doctor and her were sat in the Pond's lounge in the evening. Amy had been rushed in to hospital earlier that day, whilst the two were out shopping for the family, in labour. They now waited patiently for their return, being told she would be discharged the same day. It had been a relatively easy pregnancy for her in the end, but River couldn’t help but worry about her mother. Overwhelmed with emotions, she clasped the Doctor's hands. “I want a baby.” She blurted out. It took the Doctor by surprise, but he turned towards her smiling. “Really?” he asked, squeezing her hand. “Because...well...we can now.” River chuckled. “I know. That’s why I want one”. She smiled and kissed his cheek. “But...what if I regenerate and I look more like our child's granddad than father?” the two both laughed, but his question still remained serious. “Sweetie, it was your future self who took me to Darillium. I didn’t think you looked like someone's grandfather. Not to me.” She smiled and hugged him. “So...is that a yes? Are we going to try and be normal?” she asked, looking excited at the concept. The Doctor nodded rather enthusiastically and smiled. “Yes, my love.” He teared up slightly. “When will you be ready, do you think? To try, I mean?” he smiled sympathetically, still expecting his wife to feel weak and vulnerable. He had so loved caring for his wife these past few months. As a family, everyone had become closer. Even Brian had got in on their dysfunctional family life, always bringing over chocolate for Amy and his granddaughter, River. He loved her so much, and couldn’t wait for his second one on the way.  
River smirked. “Well, we have time, don’t we? How about now?”. The Doctor almost choked on his own breath at the thought. “River!” he playfully slapped her leg in disbelief and she mocked his attempts to stop her by moaning sensually. “Hit me like that on my ass and I’m all yours”. She smirked and then laughed as she saw how red the Doctor's face went. She loved driving him up the wall, and she knew he loved it too. Eventually, the teasing stopped. “Seriously though, sweetie. I still think we need to wait a while. Say I get pregnant tonight. That's going to make Amy and Rory’s life Hell if, in less than a year, their otherwise peaceful house has two children under the age of one living in it,” she took his hand and smiled, “so...maybe start trying in a few months? I'm still not physically ready either; I don’t think I could carry a child yet. Muscle strength still not back. But soon, my love.” The Doctor smiled and kissed her tenderly. “Whenever you’re ready, River. I can wait as long as you need.” 

Their intimate moment is interrupted by a knock on the door. They jump to their feet and answer it. Amy and Rory stand there, gleaming, and holding a baby. A little boy. Both of their eyes well up with tears. “He's beautiful...” said River, as they came indoors. The Doctor smiled. “Congratulations you two.” Amy smiled and kissed Rory's cheek. “Yeah...we make cute babies.” She winked at River and both her and Rory blushed. “Do you want to hold him, River?” Amy smiled and River nodded as she held out her arms. She cradled the baby in her arms and he looked up at her, bright blue eyes staring at his big sister. “What’s he called?” she asked. Amy smiled. “Jack, after Rory's great-grandfather.” River smiled at her parents, so overwhelmed and happy for them. “How lovely...” she trailed off, entranced by her little brother's gaze. River stroked Jack's head, and the Doctor rested a hand on her hip as he leant over to smile at him. “Hello, little guy”. He smiled as Jack grabbed onto his fingers. “oi, they’re mine”. He laughed. Amy and Rory leant into one another, watching how the Doctor and River interacted with Jack. They looked at each other and smiled. They could always see changes in River, whether they were good or bad, despite how hard she tried to hide her emotions sometimes. But this change was obvious. Finally, she was happy and safe, able to be part of her complicated family. Amy smiled.  
“So...” the Doctor and River took their eyes off Jack for a brief moment, smiles still on their faces. “When are you two having a baby?” Amy and Rory giggled to each other as the Doctor and River blushed. As much as her parents teased her for being married to the Doctor, they wouldn’t wish for anyone else to be the man who their daughter loved. And, truthfully, they couldn’t wait for family life to start properly for all of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for the positive feedback on this fanfic.  
> I'm considering a sequel to this series, in which I'll attempt to clear up some plot holes that I accidentally created for myself! It's a learning curve I guess.  
> Do let me know if you'd want this to carry on, or if you think the ending is fitting for the story. Are the plot holes a huge deal, either?  
> Let me know guys, and thank you again!


End file.
